How To Put A Spin On The Classic Negroni Cocktail

Cocktail recipes are nothing more than ratios that balance bitter, sour, and sweet flavors. Half an ounce of this, 2 ounces of that, a dash or spritz of a finishing ingredient, and you're done. Once you learn a ratio, you can riff off that cocktail in multiple ways to freshen up a favorite recipe. One of the most beautiful things about a Negroni is how simple it is to make: an even ratio of one to one to one. You don't even need a jigger or liquid measuring cup to make one; just grab something to pour into, and repeat with each ingredient.

With a classic Negroni, those ingredients are gin, sweet vermouth, and a bitter liqueur — traditionally, Campari — garnished with an expressed orange peel. And because of the easy ratio of sweet, bitter, and boozy, it's easy to customize and transform. As long as you're balancing those flavors and keeping the classic ratio, there's no end to your Negroni experiments. Go wild. We'll get you started with some ideas.

There are already plenty of spins on the Negroni that are classic cocktails in their own right. The Negroni itself is, supposedly, a riff on an Americano. Legend has it that the Negroni was invented in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni ordered a drink in Florence, Italy's Caffè Casoni. He asked for an Americano — a drink made of equal parts sweet vermouth, Campari, and club soda — but substituted the soda with gin. The Negroni was born.

A classic variation that has recently seen a resurgence in popularity is the (stunning) Sbagliato, which substitutes the gin with prosecco. There's the white Negroni, credited to Wayne Collins, swapping the red Campari for Suze Gentian Liqueur and the sweet vermouth for Lillet Blanc. Jeffrey Morgenthaler, of Portland, Oregon's Clyde Common, started barrel aging the Negroni. Barrel-aged Negronis, of course, are reminiscent of their cousin the Boulevardier, which trades gin for bourbon or rye whiskey. And that's not the end of the winding road with twists on the Negroni. From here, we can get even more creative.

Why stop at what's already been done? There's a world of liquors and bitter liqueurs out there to play with. Campari is a very strong bitter liqueur and needs a good strong liquor to match it. Try a dark rum or a smoky mezcal. You could even infuse a reposado tequila with espresso beans and use that for a Negroni-meets-espresso martini spin. Or try a slightly less bold bitter, like the Bonollo Umberto Distillery's Amaro, with an añejo tequila. Use the spicy, herbaceous bitter liqueur Fernet-Branca with the grassy, black peppery notes of high desert sotol, also known as Mexican moonshine. Play up the herbal notes with a summery Negroni using a lighter Amari like Aperol, a lighter gin infused with herbs like fresh rosemary or thyme, and lemon instead of orange peel.

You could split the measures of your bitter-sweet-boozy ratio and really play with the balance, too. For instance, try a slightly sweeter bitter liqueur like Amaro Nonino and split your vermouth pour between sweet and dry. Round out the bitter's notes of cocoa, honey, vanilla, chamomile, and orange with a smooth, sweeter booze like a good Irish whiskey or even a floral barrel-aged gin. Play with the balance until you find what tastes good to you, and you'll be able to spin the classic Negroni forever.